FbA - Bonus chapter: In the best of all possible worlds
by nightchild78
Summary: Set just after the events of Flame beneath Ashes. Finally alone, Jack and Ianto reconnect to each other. Co-authored with JolinarJackson.


**Title:** Flame beneath ashes – Bonus chapter: In the best of all possible worlds  
 **Summary:** Set just after the events of _Flame beneath Ashes_. Finally alone, Jack and Ianto reconnect to each other.  
 **Rating:** M  
 **Characters** : Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness.  
 **Pairing:** Jack/Ianto  
 **Genres:** Alternate universe/romance.  
 **Warnings:** Graphic sexual content  
 **Spoilers:** Spoilers for seasons 1 and 2. _Exit wounds_ and _Children of Earth_ are only mentioned as incidents and _Miracle Day_ , of course, never happened

 **Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Author's Notes:** This chapter is co-authored with Jolinar Jackson who was kind enough to help me to give birth to this bonus chapter (honestly, she did most of the work ). I hope you'll like it. As always a huge thank you to badly_knitted who betaed it.

 **To Aya2013** : Thank you for your support! It means a lot to me.

 **Bonus chapter – In the best of all possible worlds**

With a thrill of anticipation, Jack leapt up the flight of stairs leading to his office, feeling quite proud of the way he had managed to get rid of the rest of the team in such a record time. As he reached the gallery, he paused and shook his head with a chuckle. Really, twenty first century people could be just plain contradictory sometimes. And always at the worst possible time, of course.

He'd been surprised about Tosh's refusal to leave early, to say the least. She'd pointed out that she and Gwen had almost finished setting up Ianto's workstation and that she didn't think they should leave it as it was when it needed less than an hour of work to get it done. Thankfully, one meaningful look from Jack, along with the irrepressible fit of giggles shaking Gwen's shoulders, had been enough to make her understand Jack's further motives and within a handful of seconds, the two women had been heading to the exit with Cheshire Cat grins on their faces.

Which had left him with Owen. The easiest part, he had thought.

And indeed, as he expected, the good Doctor Harper hadn't quibbled over Jack's offer; on the contrary. At the same time, though, he hadn't shown the slightest haste to leave either and took his time gathering his things while watching with obvious delight as Jack became more and more impatient and restless with each passing minute. Jack had been starting to look at a faster way to get rid of him, - maybe throwing him in a cell for the night-, when Owen had finally taken pity on him and cleared off, but not without favouring him with a sly smirk and a " _don't wear the Teaboy out_ ". Had he not been in such a hurry, Jack would certainly have found some crass reply, but given the circumstances, he had preferred to hold his tongue and instead strode towards his quarters.

The door of the office was half open, inviting. Taking a deep breath, Jack slowly pushed it open and cast a look inside, his hand tightening around the knob.

Seeing Ianto again in his office after having been separated for so long was still strange and threw him off-balance for a moment.

He leant against the doorframe, just drinking in the sight: Ianto hadn't noticed him yet, standing with his back to him. He was fidgeting with something in his hands – clearly nervous – and then took a deep breath, arching his back in an obvious attempt to work out some kink in his spine. Jack couldn't help but notice the way Ianto's muscles moved beneath the long-sleeved t-shirt and stepped closer, unable to resist. Ianto startled slightly when Jack's arms wrapped around his waist and Jack buried his nose in Ianto's hair, breathing in.

"I hope I am not too late?" he asked playfully, planting a few tender kisses on the skin of Ianto's neck.

Ianto chuckled and turned around in his arms, his gaze going down to the stopwatch in his hands. With a mischievous smile, he answered, "I think you even managed to be early." One of his arms came up around Jack's neck, pulling him closer for a kiss, all trace of nervousness suddenly vanished. "Congratulations, Captain."

With the next kiss, Ianto's tongue came out, parting Jack's lips easily. Jack pulled him closer, resting his hands on Ianto's hips, his fingertips sneaking along the seams of Ianto's jeans.

"Guess I was very," Jack muttered, interrupting himself by exchanging another passionate kiss that had Ianto arching against him, " _very_ motivated."

He slid his hands underneath Ianto's t-shirt to stroke bare skin and felt Ianto lean back to set the stopwatch on the desk before starting to unbutton Jack's shirt. Jack walked forward a bit, crowding Ianto back against the desk.

This reminded him of old times, of feverish moments he thought he would never get back again.

Ianto's hands pulled Jack's braces down and Jack shrugged out of his shirt, his fingers opening Ianto's jeans. There was nothing he would rather do than to undress Ianto and pin him against the wood of his desk, taking him right where they stood. But that would be like before. It would be like nothing had changed and for Jack, everything had. Ianto had always been dear to him. He had been there as a challenge at first, a way to see whether his seduction techniques still worked. Then he'd been a distraction, a way to fight back the loneliness. Then a friend. While a deep companionship and respect had formed between them, sex had remained a distraction, though. Fun. Stress relief. It was supposed to be more now.

 _It should be more._

For that reason, Jack stopped Ianto from opening his trousers and took his hand instead.

"Let's go," he said with a nod towards the hatch leading to his bedroom while trying to catch his breath.

Ianto stared at him, equally breathless. "Really?"

Jack nodded solemnly and pulled on his hand gently. Ianto smiled. And followed.

TW TW TW TW TW

Ianto didn't feel as slim against Jack as he remembered. He had built some muscles and they were moving underneath the t-shirt, against Jack's hands, as they continued to kiss as soon as they were standing in Jack's small bunker.

"Do you have any idea," Jack asked, his hands going underneath Ianto's shirt to stroke over the smooth skin of his lower back, "how long I've waited to do this again?"

Ianto looked at him, his blue eyes clouded by desire. "Does it matter now?"

Jack smiled.

"No," he answered before taking another kiss, his hands pulling Ianto's t-shirt up.

Ianto stepped back with a laugh and shook his head. "Let me," he said, reaching out to open Jack's trousers. Jack pulled him closer again and Ianto walked him back to the bed, Jack stepping out of his trousers on the way.

He sat down and rested his hands on Ianto's hips to pull down his jeans. He blinked when the lights were dimmed and looked up questioningly. Ianto just smiled and got rid of his jeans before he knelt on the bed, straddling Jack's hips. Jack accepted the passionate kiss but his hand reached out to switch the light on again.

Ianto grabbed it halfway there. "Keep it off," he murmured against Jack's lips.

"Why?"

"Maybe, I'd like to keep a curtain of mystery?"

Despite the dim light, he saw the blush stain Ianto's cheeks and started to suspect what was wrong. He reached for the t-shirt again, starting to pull it up. Ianto lowered his eyes and looked away, but he let it happen.

"Ianto," Jack said softly, cupping his cheek in one hand to get him to look at him. "It doesn't matter."

Ianto closed his eyes.

"I don't mind them," Jack continued.

"Well, I do," Ianto answered on a breath.

"I want to see you properly while we do this," Jack insisted. "All of you."

Ianto hesitated. Jack could see it in the way his face became closed-off and neutral, his eyes going distant. He'd looked like this when Jack had first suggested fucking him. As if he wasn't sure he wanted to be there. In the end, though, it had turned out to be fantastic, so Jack had some hope left.

Jack slowly reached out behind his head, but before he could switch on the small bedside lamp, Ianto grabbed his wrist.

"Please, don't make me."

Jack's heart clenched in his chest at the sheer misery dripping from Ianto's voice. In all the time they had slept together, he had never forced Ianto into anything and he wasn't about to start now. His eyes locked on Ianto's, he slowly lowered his hand and settled it on Ianto's neck before gently pulling him downward. He captured his lips in a tender kiss.

"I won't. Ever," he whispered and slid his hands down to brush over the damaged flesh on Ianto's back.

Ianto briefly tensed, then relaxed minutely under Jack's touch. He bit his lip and leaned closer, nuzzling against Jack's temple.

"Thank you."

It was whispered against Jack's hair, surely not intended to be heard, but Jack heard it anyway and smiled softly. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Ianto.

Jack flipped them around, so it was him straddling Ianto's hips now and leaned down to kiss Ianto's neck, placing a gentle bite over his pulse point.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered.

His hands mapped the contours of Ianto's chest, stroking down his flanks to settle beneath Ianto's hips, pressing him closer. Their cocks touched through their pants and Ianto moaned softly. Jack felt the muscles of his back move against his hands and let his mouth travel down further, kissing a path to Ianto's nipples.

"Even more so than before," he murmured against Ianto's skin.

Ianto had always been graceful but his body had been more that of someone working at a desk than in the field. Now he was still slim, but his muscles were more defined. The body of someone who had to test his limits daily.

Jack hooked his fingers in the seam of Ianto's pants and pulled them down, moving his head in the same direction. Ianto gasped when Jack bit his navel, his knees bending and his feet looking for leverage on the bed to push up. Jack held him down gently and paused to smile at him. Ianto smiled back and he looked oddly familiar like this, trusting Jack with his body, his pleasure, again after all this time. Before Jack, Ianto hadn't had much experience in general and none with men. It had been fun to teach him, to show him what Jack liked and create the perfect lover in the process, and Ianto had always been so eager to learn and please.

If there was one thing they'd never disagreed about, it was sex. Setting boundaries, accepting them and giving, taking, experimenting …

Jack pushed his own underwear out of the way and settled between Ianto's legs, letting their cocks brush without any barriers for the first time in way too long. The first touch wasn't enough, though, and Jack pressed down harder, sliding one hand into Ianto's hair to pull his head back and kiss him. Ianto's legs closed around his back and he returned the kiss with abandon, half-whispered words falling between their lips while Jack established a lazy rhythm not designed to lead to an orgasm but to heighten their arousal.

He wanted to take his time, as much as his pulse raced and his body insisted that he speed up.

"Jack," Ianto gasped, throwing his head back.

Experience told Jack that Ianto was close, so he stilled and brushed Ianto's hair off his forehead, placing a tender kiss there.

"It's been a while," Ianto whispered.

"That's okay," Jack said.

Ianto smiled, cupping Jack's face in his hands. "I want you to take me."

Ianto's voice was hoarse, full of desire, but Jack hesitated, though his cock twitched at the mere thought.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "If it's been a while, we could..."

Ianto interrupted him with a kiss. "Yes, I'm sure. I want you in me."

Jack gazed into Ianto's eyes, seeing the certainty there, but also the slight nervousness.

"How long has it been exactly," he asked, his hand reaching for the nightstand to get the lube, "since you've let a man do this?"

His question was only partly motivated by wanting to gauge just how slow he had to go. He lay on his side to have both hands free, opening the cap of the tube.

"I haven't had sex with anyone," Ianto answered softly, his eyes flitting away from Jack's. "Since you."

Jack paused for a second, then he closed his hand around the lube in his palm, warming it to the touch. "Nobody?"

Ianto shrugged, one of his fingers running down Jack's arm. He was blushing, clearly embarrassed.

"No one. I … well, at first I think I was still grieving for Lisa … and maybe you, even though I didn't remember you. Then, after the accident, there were the scars and … it became complicated."

Jack leaned over to kiss Ianto's lips, seeking his eyes. He wanted Ianto to see his honesty when he replied, "I'm sorry."

Ianto looked at him for a long moment and Jack let him see the guilt he felt for not being as celibate, for taking men and women to bed to battle the pain of losing the person he'd really wanted to have with him again. All the one night stands and flings … all the false starts to try and regain what he'd lost.

Ianto cupped his cheek, his eyes sincere when he answered, "Don't be. I'm not."

It was an absolution Jack didn't think he deserved but he accepted it.

"Now," Ianto said, grinding his hips up against Jack's, "would you be so kind as to get on with it, Captain Harkness?"

Jack chuckled and leaned down to kiss Ianto again, shifting slightly so he could reach Ianto's entrance more easily. He pressed against it with one finger, Ianto whimpering and pressing against him encouragingly.

"Jack," he breathed as Jack's finger slid in, the air suddenly seeming heavy and quiet.

Jack closed his eyes as he kissed Ianto again, keeping the touch of his lips feather-light as he added a second finger. Ianto moaned and wrapped one leg around Jack's waist, pulling him closer. Jack moved his fingers in and out slowly and then went by muscle memory to bury inside Ianto a bit more, a bit to the left … the sound Ianto made was choked, his leg tightening around Jack and his lips desperately seeking a kiss. Jack gave in, their tongues meeting messily while he added a third finger, feeling like he could come already.

"Come on," Ianto gasped. "Please."

Jack brushed his prostate one more time and then withdrew. "Condom?" he asked.

Ianto shook his head. "Want to feel you," he whispered. "Only you."

He took the lube from where Jack had discarded it on the mattress and warmed some in his palm before reaching down to cover Jack's cock with it. He stroked up and down Jack's length teasingly, smiling at him, until Jack couldn't take it any longer and grabbed Ianto's hand, pinning it against the pillow next to his head. Ianto lifted his chin, looking up at him and God, he was beautiful: flushed and sweaty and his eyes sparkling. Jack lined himself up and pushed inside him with one swift movement, biting his lip to suppress a groan. Ianto gasped, shutting his eyes tightly, his back arching off the bed. Jack got one of his hands under Ianto to pull, shifting him into a kneeling position over his lap. The change in position drove Jack even deeper inside and Ianto's arms came around his neck, his breath hectic and hot against Jack's cheek.

They stilled, adjusting.

Ianto smiled at him and leaned down for a kiss that lingered. When they parted, Ianto's eyes were closed, his expression focussed.

Jack brushed Ianto's hair off his forehead. "You with me?"

Ianto hastily nodded and tried to move, his hips rising slightly before Jack clamped down on his shoulders, shaking his head.

He met Ianto's confused look. "You with me?" he repeated and he didn't mean just now, just in this second, but from now on. Ianto stared at him and Jack tilted his head imploringly, his hand stroking down Ianto's back, over the scars in his flesh, mapping them.

Ianto's eyes started to shine with tears. "You mean ...?"

"Yes," Jack answered.

He knew this was something Ianto had never thought about because it had never been a possibility back then. Jack had seen it, of course, the way Ianto looked at him sometimes, and he might have indulged in the idea now and again, but it had never been seriously considered. Since Ianto had left, though, and Jack had realised the size of the empty space he'd caused in doing so … he wanted it.

He wanted this.

His only hope was that Ianto still did as well. Ianto smiled at him, his thumb brushing Jack's cheek.

"Always."

Jack crushed their lips together to seal the words and settled his hands on Ianto's hips, giving him permission to finally, _finally_ move. It didn't take long, the pent-up emotions and the eagerness at finally being together like this again were too much. Ianto came with a shout of Jack's name, and his body tightening around Jack pushed him over the edge as well. Their lips met while their bodies were still trembling through the aftershocks, the heated kiss turning lazy, before Ianto finally shifted off Jack.

He collapsed onto the mattress and Jack laid down beside him, pulling Ianto into his arms. Before he could really get settled, though, Ianto moved away, one hand reaching down over the edge to grab his discarded t-shirt. Jack watched worriedly as Ianto put it on, his scars hidden once more. Ianto gave him an embarrassed smile, before settling down next to him again, his head against Jack's shoulder.

"Always," he repeated and Jack realised that for the first time in ages, eternity didn't seem so appalling.

Not now that he had Ianto back at his side.

 _End._


End file.
